Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
lar devices—it is also necessary for larger displays of visualizations because of
their lower resolution.
TYPES OF OUTPUT EQUIPMENT
Output equipment for cartographic visualizations can be separated into two
groups. Printing equipment produces output on paper or paper-like mate-
rial. Visualizations are made with displays.
More and more printing equipment has become available to produce
color maps, but the costs remain comparatively high. A color ink-jet printer
may cost less than $100, but the ink cartridge for 30 full-color maps may cost
another $30. Printing costs of $1.00 for a color map is very expensive. For
large series of maps, such costs can be prohibitive. Grayscale maps, printed
with laser printers, ink-jets, or photocopied, remain common and will likely
be widely used far into the future.
Depending on the resolution of the printing equipment, care should be
taken with grayscales. If the printing equipment has a very low resolution
(e.g., a fax machine), the clarity of the high-resolution grayscale map may
degrade into a collection of unsightly ink spots. Issues with printing equip-
ment resolution also play a role in making large-format maps. Because of dif-
ferences in printing technologies, maps that portray well when previewed on
a computer screen may appear much worse when printed on paper. If a sub-
stantial map is being produced, it is wise to check the quality of the final map
with a sample before commencing a large print-run.
High-end color printing equipment supports resolutions of over 1,000
dots per inch (dpi) and brings great detail to printing. If the color printing
Ill-advised use of symbols can lead to confusing maps.
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